Data services are generally grouped into two categories: circuit-oriented (which includes Asynchronous Data and Group-3 Fax services) and packet. For calls that support packet data services, a Packet Data Serving Node (PDSN) serves as an interface between the transmission of data in a fixed network and the transmission of data over an air interface. The PDSN interfaces to a Base Station (BS) through a Packet Control Function (PCF), which may or may not be co-located with the BS.
As defined in the 3rd Generation Partnership Project 2; 3GPP2 Access Network Interfaces Interoperability Specification (hereinafter referred to as 3GPP2 A.S0013-O v2.0), there are three packet data session states: Active/Connected, Dormant, and Null/Inactive. When a wireless device, such as a mobile station (MS), originates a packet data call to the current cdma2000 Radio Access Network (RAN), a traffic channel is allocated to establish a point-to-point protocol (PPP) connection and perform Mobile Internet Protocol (MIP) Registration procedures. Upon successful completion of these procedures, the MS's packet data service instance transitions from a Null to an Active/Connected state and the network and MS exchange packet data over a traffic channel. After a predefined period of inactivity, the MS's packet data service instance transitions from an Active to a Dormant state, however it may become Active again if the MS or network has data to send.
In the Active/Connected State, a physical traffic channel exists between a MS and a BS, and either unit may send data. In the Dormant State, no physical traffic channel exists between the MS and BS, but the PPP link between the MS and the PDSN is maintained. In the Null/Inactive State, there is no traffic channel between the MS and BS and there is no PPP link between the MS and the PDSN.
The air interface standard (IS-2000) includes changes to support fast call setups. Fast call setup enhancements are specified in S.R0065. The enhancements support faster dormant reactivations of packet data calls.
In one enhancement, the BS assigns a SYNC_ID corresponding to the MS's current service configuration and non-negotiable service configuration (hereinafter referred to as stored service configuration) and sends the SYNC_ID to the MS in the IS-2000 Service Connect message after a service configuration has been negotiated. The service configuration consists of the IS-2000 service configuration record and non-negotiable service configuration record. The content of these elements is specified in TIA-2000.5-C, sections 3.7.5.7 and 3.7.5.20, respectively. The MS may later include the SYNC_ID in an Origination, Enhanced Origination, Page Response, or Reconnect message when reactivating one or multiple dormant service instances supported by the MS's stored service configuration. The BS uses the SYNC_ID sent by the MS to retrieve the corresponding stored service configuration for the call. If the service configuration information associated with the SYNC_ID are available and can be supported by the BS, the BS sends a Channel Assignment or Service Connect message to the MS with the USE_OLD_SERV_CONFIG field set to indicate that the stored service configuration should be used (TIA-2000-A/B), or sends an extended channel assignment message (ECAM) to the MS with GRANTED_MODE set to 11 to indicate that the stored service configuration should be used (TIA-2000-C). The message instructs the MS to use the stored service configuration, thereby allowing the service negotiation procedure to be bypassed. The BS proceeds to reactivate the service instance specified by the SR_ID sent by the MS using the stored service configuration. This results in faster dormant packet data reactivations.
In another enhancement, the MS may initiate reactivation of all of its dormant service instances supported by the stored service configuration using a single air interface message. As in the previous case, the MS sends a previously assigned SYNC_ID to the BS in an Origination, Enhanced Origination, Page Response, or Reconnect message, but with the SR_ID field set to ‘111’. If the stored service configuration associated with the SYNC_ID is found, the BS sends a Channel Assignment or Service Connect message to the MS with the USE_OLD_SERV_CONFIG field set to indicate that the stored service configuration should be used (TIA-2000-A/B), or the BS sends an ECAM message with GRANTED_MODE set to 11 and the service negotiation procedure is bypassed. In this case, the BS proceeds to reactivate all of the MS's service instances associated with the stored service configuration.
In the current IOS specification, neither the BS nor the PCF maintains the MS's packet data service configuration information during dormancy. The BS maintains the information when the session is active. When a session goes dormant and the mobile requests a reactivation using a SYNC_ID, the BS cannot reactivate any service instances supported by the dormant session without knowing which SR_IDs, Service Options, and other service configuration information are associated with connection. Either the BS or PCF must be able to retrieve the MS's service configuration during dormancy.
Thus, there is a need for a method in the RAN for supporting reactivation of service instances in a dormant session using stored service configurations.